How to Beat the Bugs in Your Chicago Apartment

Apartment living is great because many apartments have outstanding amenities like pools and weight rooms. Unfortunately, this time of year in Chicago, you may find yourself with a few unwanted pests – spiders and ladybug like creatures like to sneak in from the outside during the summer and early fall months. But don’t worry, there are things that you can do to beat the bugs in Chicago apartments.

What should you do if you have bugs?

Bugs happen. The trick is to keep them out of your living space. If you do have bugs in your apartment, be sure and contact your apartment building’s management. If you live in one of Realty Mortgage’s properties, please, either call your management office or submit a maintenance request. Many of them employ exterminators on a weekly basis, so it is not difficult for your bug issues to be addressed. Persistent cleanliness and the use of pesticides is an effective way to keep insects under control.

How can problems be prevented?

There are things that renters can do to prevent bugs from becoming a problem. These things are easy to do and cost very little or no money. Taking these precautions will deprive pests of food and places to hide from insecticides.

Get rid of all corrugated cardboard boxes. These provide a place for insects of many kinds to hide and breed. If you have to leave some things boxed up, buy plastic tubs with lids and spray them on the inside with a long-acting insecticide before filling them. Although they seem more expensive than cardboard, you’ll pay more over the long haul in cans of Raid and frustration.

A few hours before you move into your new apartment, set off a quality fogger that kills the most common pests, such as ants, spiders, Asian ladybugs and fleas. Be sure that it contains an ingredient that prevents the maturation of emerging insects. In that way, if there are any insect hitchhikers in your belongings, they will soon encounter the pesticide and be eliminated.

Certain housekeeping habits can frustrate an exterminator’s efforts to keep bugs under control in your apartment. One of the most important things that you can do to prevent insects from taking up residence in your apartment is to be very careful about the food in your apartment. Always keep food in the kitchen where it is easy to clean up crumbs and spills. Do the dishes every night without fail, and store open food packages, such as bread, chips, crackers and flours, in airtight containers. Vacuum the carpets regularly, and dispose of the vacuum cleaner’s bag weekly. A bagless vacuum is best because the dust cup can be emptied daily.

If you’re someone who likes to leave their windows open make sure to check your screens regularly to make sure there are no tears, holes or gaps allowing bugs to get into your apartment. If you do notice a space where bugs can get in let your management office know.

We all love our pets, but they can be a large source of bug problems. Make sure to give your pets monthly flea treatments to ensure they don’t carry hitchhikers into your Chicago apartment. If you’re having trouble with ants or other bugs around your pet’s food bowl you may have to stop leaving food out all the time for your pet, at least until the problem is resolved.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to keep bugs out of your apartment. By keeping ahead of the insects’ life cycles with the use of insecticides, eliminating their hiding places, and removing their food sources, your apartment can be a bug-free zone. With a little effort, bugs won’t stand a chance.